PH gov’t opens price bids for P7.25-B Bataan-Cavite bridge segment as China firms dominate race

The Philippine government has opened financial proposals from eight contractors vying to build the first segment of a 32-kilometre bridge linking two industrial provinces, with Chinese state firms forming the majority of bidders for the P7.25 billion peso package, the public works department said on Wednesday.

The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge would become the Southeast Asian nation’s longest water-spanning structure when completed, cutting travel time between the two manufacturing hubs that flank Manila Bay from hours by land to around 30 minutes.

Five of the eight bidders for Contract Package 1 are Chinese state-owned construction giants or joint ventures involving Chinese firms, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), underscoring Beijing’s continued infrastructure dominance in the Philippines despite warming ties with Washington.

The P7.25 billion peso first package covers land approaches in Bataan province, including seven bridges and interchanges, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said. The government opened price bids on Sept. 30, 2025 in a live-streamed event ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to boost transparency.

Chinese bidders include Beijing Urban Construction Group, China Harbour Engineering, and consortiums involving China Wu Yi and Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group. Three Philippine-led joint ventures are also competing: D.M. Consunji, EEI-PMI, and POSCO E&C-Sta. Clara.

Technical bids were opened in May. The DPWH did not specify when it would award the contract.

The bridge project is part of Marcos’ infrastructure push to ease congestion and spur economic growth, though critics have raised concerns about the government’s reliance on Chinese contractors for strategic projects.